Psychology of Happiness

Many of our clients are preoccupied with how to be happier. If the number of books and articles Americans read on how to be happier were the key, Americans would be the happiest people in the world. That distinction belongs to Denmark (according to the World Happiness Report), Panama (according to the Gallup Poll) and Iceland (according to NPR correspondent Eric Weiner). Tropical paradises like Fiji and the Bahamas didn’t even make the top twenty. Americans in particular tend to get caught up in the myths of happiness, such as I’ll be happy when I have more money, have a better partner, get a better job, etc. Research, however, suggests that 50% of happiness is genetically determined, 40% is attributable to what a person thinks and does, and only 10% is attributable to circumstances. Further, research suggests that people have a set point and that before long they return to that set point after experiencing good or bad events-unless they change the structure of how they think and behave.

This intermediate course examines the nature of happiness and how to help clients make efficacious efforts at becoming happier. The course has four MP3 interviews with experts (transcripts provided). Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky shares what research says about being happy, including how to override happiness set points. Dr. Stephen Post shares a plethora of research on how altruism increases happiness. NPR foreign correspondent Eric Weiner landed a special assignment of traveling the world to research what countries are the happiest countries and why. The last interview is with Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, who discusses how to use cognitive behavioral therapy to help clients become happier. The course includes notes on the interviews so you don’t need to take notes. Additional resources and references are provided for further study, but they are not part of the course.